Scammers will send you a phishing link to “enter” the giveaway and then capture your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and/or get you to download malware and viruses onto your computer. Some Facebook Marketplace scammers will try to get your personal information by offering a giveaway–such as for luxury items or cryptocurrency. □ Related: Avoid These 8 eBay Gift Card Scams At All Costs → Offering giveaways that are too good to be true A scammer gets your attention with a low-ticket item and then tries to sell you a more expensive product or the same product at a higher price.Īt the first sign of inconsistent pricing, take your money and run. This scam is also known as the “bait and switch” method. □ If you want to check if your personal information has been stolen by hackers, try Aura’s Dark Web Scanner → Suspiciously low pricing (aka, the “bait and switch”)Ī seller changing the price once you’ve inquired about the item is an immediate red flag. Many fake accounts were legitimate users at one point who either stopped using Facebook without realizing someone else had access to their account or had their credentials purchased off the Dark Web after a breach. In 2019, a Facebook data breach exposed the personal information of 533 million Facebook users from 106 countries. You might think that it would be easy to spot a fake account, but scammers have gotten more sophisticated in recent years. On Facebook Marketplace, fraudsters will create multiple fake Facebook accounts and list the same items at various price points–usually lower than comparable ones to get you excited about a deal.īut once you agree on a price and pay them, the items never arrive. Social media is full of fake user accounts. As you browse for your next purchase, beware of these common scams: Fake seller accounts □ Related: The Latest Social Media Scams (and How To Avoid Them) → For Buyers: Facebook Marketplace Scams to Bewareīuyers are the most common target for Facebook Marketplace scammers. If you notice any red flags, proceed with caution or stop communicating with the user altogether. Ultimately, the golden rule of shopping safely on Marketplace is that if an item or transaction feels too good to be true, it probably is. The seller wants you to pay with a gift card.Buyers or sellers ask for your phone number.Buyers send you prepaid shipping labels.Buyers or sellers try to take the conversation outside of Facebook Messenger.Sellers offer suspiciously low prices for high-ticket items.Here are some red flags for Facebook Marketplace scams: So what should you be looking for if you think the person you're talking to is a scammer? Sellers can fall prey to fake buyers looking to get their personal information to use in future scams or even identity theft. What are Some Red Flags for Facebook Marketplace Scams?īuyers aren’t the only ones at risk of Facebook Marketplace scams. Try Aura’s 14-day free trial for immediate protection while you’re most vulnerable. If an Instagram scammer tries to access your accounts or finances, Aura can help you take action before it’s too late. Aura’s top-rated identity theft protection monitors all of your most sensitive personal information, online accounts, and finances for signs of fraud. Consider signing up for identity theft protection.An identity theft protection service like Aura can monitor your credit and statements for you and alert you to any signs of fraud. Check for the warning signs of identity theft - such as strange charges on your bank statement or accounts you don’t recognize. Scammers are almost always after your financial accounts. Regularly check your credit report and bank statements.Always remember the golden rule of fraud prevention: If a deal seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. Scammers try to bypass your natural defenses by offering deals you can’t pass up. Don’t fall for too-good-to-be-true deals. To protect yourself from Facebook Marketplace scammers, make sure you: In many cases, they’ll try to trick you into giving up personal information that they can use to steal your identity, break into your online bank account, or take over your Facebook profile. Scammers on Facebook Marketplace aren’t just after your money. Don’t Get Scammed: How To Protect Yourself From Facebook Marketplace Scams Try Aura’s identity theft protection free for 14 days to secure your identity against scammers. ✅ Take action: If you’ve been scammed on Facebook Marketplace, your bank account, email, and other online accounts could also be at risk.
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